The Tongue Set Free

From the outwash plains of Brooklyn to Indianas drifted diamonds and goldIn Suspect Terrainis a narrative of the earth, told in four sections of equal length, each in a different way reflecting the three othersa biography; a set piece about a fragment of Appalachian landscape in illuminating counterpoint to the human history there; a modern collision of ideas about the origins of the mountain range; and, in contrast, a century-old collision of ideas about the existence of the Ice Age. The central figure is Anita Harris, an internationally celebrated geologist who went into her profession to get out of a Brooklyn ghetto. The unifying theme is plate tectonicshere concentrating on the acceptance that all aspects of the theory do not universally enjoy. As such,In Suspect Terrainis a report from the rough spots at the front edge of a science. John McPheeis the author of more than 25 books, includingAnnals of the Former World, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction in 1999. He has been a staff writer atThe New Yorkersince 1965 and lives in Princeton, New Jersey. McPhee'sEncounters with the ArchdruidandThe Curve of Binding Energywere both nominated for National Book Awards in the category of science. From the outwash plains of Brooklyn to Indianas drifted diamonds and gold,In Suspect Terrainis a narrative of the earth, told in four sections of equal length, each in a different way reflecting the three othersa biography; a set piece about a fragment of Appalachian landscape in illuminating counterpoint to the human history there; a modern collision of ideas about the origins of the mountain range; and, in contrast, a century-old collision of ideas about the existence of the Ice Age. The central figure is Anita Harris, an internationally celebrated geologist who went into her profession to get out of a Brooklyn ghetto. The unifying theme is plate tectonicshere concentrating on the acceptance that all aspects of the theory do not universally enjoy. As such,In Suspect Terrainis a report from the rough spots at the front edge of a science. This is a book you cannot put down . . . It provides a great deal of information about the way many geologists think about science . . . and about the necessity for continual questioning and revising of new and old ideas. This is the best way science can remain healthy and continue to grow.Robert D. Hatcher, Jr.,Natural History